Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-04-20
FRANCIA'S LOST LOVE.
Bnghted Affection Which Led to q
Broader Virtue.

BHghted Affection Which Led to q
Broader Virtue.
| tAnnabel B. White, in Frank Leslie's Illus
trated Newspaper.l
The light in the parlor was dim, but not
so dim that Rolph Essen could not see the
look OF fixed agony that Francia Randolph
cast upon his face. Her face was white
and drawn, her blue eyes were distended
with kind of horror, and tensely clasped
hands were held out TO him in mute ap-
peal But he went on, in his cold, un-
| sympathetic voice:
81 have borne with your jealous out
bursts as long and as patiently as / can.
BY your insane attack upon me to-day you
| have broken the last link that binds US to-
| gether. l take my freedom and give you
yours"
"Rolph, you do not mean It'll Take back
| your cruel wordsi do not want my free.
| dom, and shall not give you yours. Only
promise to forgive me, and 1 will never
so offend you againi"
She fell at his feet abjectly, she clung
| to his knees with trembling hands she
lifted her streaming eyes to the cold face
above her. He was not a brutal man, but
there seemed something brutal in the way
| he took her hands from his knees and
| firmly laid them by her side.
| "lt is useless to appeal to me- for your
treatment Of me has wearied patience and
| worn out love. We had better part to-
day than link our lives together and
separate afterwards, creating a scandal
| Now 1t will simply be broken engage
ment, from which we will both quickly
recover without scars"
| Francia rose to her feet.
"You think that-and of met"
he leaned back in his chair and gazed OF
her almost insolently.
II think that of you-and Of all women.
There was never yet one who remained
| faithful to one love. In year from now
we will both laugh at our present posi-
| ton"
You may, but I-neveri Rolph, 1 can
not-can not give you upl Say that you
can forgive me! Say that / shall be your
wifel Oh, don't you know, dear, if l were
| your wife l should never feel jealousy
again9 Don't you know 1 would serve
| you on my knees-that / would be your
slavel'
She approached him once more, leaning
upon his shoulder with one hand and peer
ing into his impassive face with eyes whose
expression he dared not read. He shook of
her touch impatiently and rose.
81 might as well go now and end it. I
shall leave the city tonight, so it will not
be worth while for you to try to perse-
cute me with insane letters. I shall not
! get them"
He picked up his hat and began finger
| ing it unessily, as il to avoid her passion
ate eyes. But she had grown suddenly
calm She said no word as he moved to
ward the door. When he arrived there he
! stopped.
"Will you not say good-byel"
hn fA4
struck iercely at his outstretched palm.
''No; will not say good-byei Hear me
FOR the last time! / have loved you long
and well. 1t may be that this parting will
| kill me, and so L wish to tell you that you
| have done ill to withdraw your heart from
me supposing you ever gave it TO me. You
| have done i'll to permit my worship-such
| worship as few women can give to fewer
men. Never again will you be loved as
have loved you; never again will you have
such faith given you as 1 have bestowed
| upon you. Never, never againP'
he opened and closed the door rapidly
after his retreating form. She moved
sluggishly across the room, and fell like
| clod upon a sofa.
"Never, never againr
She repeated the words despairingly,
with her lids closed tightly over her hot
eyes, and her hands thrown rigidly above
her head
at can not be that he is gone for cveri
1t can not be that he means what he saysi
1t can not be that 1 am never to be his
wifel Love, come back to me! Love, for
give mep'
vain were her beseccbings. If only love
and friendship were not one-sided things
She rose and paced the room feverishly.
"My God, be mercifull Turn his heart
back to mel / can not bear It'll 1 will be
so good and patient with him! will do
any thing that he wishes, only bring hi IN
back to mep'
So she prayed, this girl who believed in
Hod and man, who had faith in love and
friendship. The days passed and length
ened into weeks. There came no word nor
sign from Francia's recreant lover
She had to tell her father and
mother that the engagement which
had existed between her and Rolph
Essen was at an end. She gave no
explanation, and they asked for none.
Suddenly brain fever fell upon her, and
her life hung in the balance for weeks
When health and consciousness returned
10 her, girlhood lay behind her. She was
trying to gather up her broken hopes, her
dead youth and slain faith, and weave
them into comely garment which she
might wear decorously before critical
world. All her friends now knew that
her engagement was "off," and she
seemed to feel the pity. the sympathy and
the mockery which were showered upon
her-behind her back
Two years went by, and Francia Ran.
dolph was twenty-three. Her mother had
the bad taste TO give her a birthnight fete
The bad taste-we write advisedly-for
Wnere Is the woman who likes to be re-
minded Of her age, even if she still be
youngi But to Francia it mattered little.
for youth seemed to lie far behind her.
and the SHOWS Of sixty years seemed to
freeze her heart
Francia, pray allow me to control your
taste in selecting your dress tonight. You
VIII never marry if you do not try to throw
more animation into your manner and
more girlish gayety into your dress. You
dress ike nun, except at such times as
insist upon the contrary"
NYou may order any style Of dress you
choose, mother, and will wear it; but If
you think shall strive for the admiration
d asa, GOA forget You must know tnat
shall never marrv.n
Mrs. Randolph sighed:
tnlnk yon are foolish to let your
broken engagement with Rolph Essen in
fuence your future"
ut does not Such natures az mine love
but once, and then she bit her lin to
control further speech.
"Sy the way, hear he has returned. I
hope you can meet him without making q
scene You know your weakness"
Francia's lip curied scornfully, then she
looked steadily at her mother, who shifted
her eyes uneasily.
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